Compared with China's armed evacuation in Sudan, it is generally believed that this marks the continuous improvement of China's naval expeditionary capability.
We have overseas Chinese and Chinese-funded enterprises all over the world, but the scope of action of the Chinese Navy is relatively limited. In the past, when there was war or turmoil in other countries, our evacuation operations were often difficult, and they were called "the journey home".
The hardships of this can only be experienced by those who have experienced it. Nowadays, the Chinese Navy is going global, especially in the Gulf of Aden, and the presence of regular escort formations means that we already have a solid backing overseas, which is more convenient than carrying out evacuation operations from the mainland.
With the increase of global support bases and the development of various patrol operations, the Chinese Navy's overseas presence and capabilities have been further enhanced. Adhering to the principle of proximity and convenience, we have been able to reach the designated areas as soon as possible to carry out various armed evacuation operations.
From 2011 to the present, the scope of our armed ship formations has also been expanding. During the Libyan operation in 2011, we had only one frigate; In the 2015 Yemen evacuation operation, we not only had combat ships, but also support ships, forming a pattern of mutual cooperation between operations and support.
In the latest Sudanese evacuation operation, the cooperation between combat ships and support ships has been further strengthened, making full use of the advantages of combat ships in terms of strong protective capability, large tonnage, and large space, greatly improving the efficiency of evacuation and facilitating transportation.
China's navy is gradually growing, and its tonnage, capabilities, and scope continue to grow. This makes our global presence even more solid. In the future, whenever and wherever an important crisis occurs, we will be able to provide a strong guarantee for the safety of the Chinese and overseas Chinese.
Our military power is undergoing a major transformation, especially in naval strategy. Now, our maritime defense is no longer confined to our doorstep, but extends across the globe.
Through the Navy's footprint, we will firmly protect Chinese, Chinese assets, Chinese access, Chinese investment and Chinese interests. This is different from the past and has great historical significance.
As our overseas activities increase, we will get closer and closer to a position where a crisis could arise.
The global situation is unstable, and various conflicts and incidents may occur in the countries it passes through. The likelihood of the United States and other countries fomenting unrest in the neighborhood is also increasing. In this context, our overseas assets, interests, people and access are under serious threat.
Therefore, we can provide more security guarantees through armed escorts and armed evacuations.
Through regular drills, our ocean-going strength will be further enhanced. Before the implementation of escort in the Gulf of Aden, our ships did not need to carry out various far-sea combat missions for a long time, resulting in a rapid decline in the development of maritime support capabilities.
The symbol of a strong navy is not only how many aircraft carriers, submarines and combat ships it has, but more importantly, how far and how long the ships and accompanying support capabilities can operate, and what kind of tasks they can perform in predetermined sea areas.
During the evacuation process, the Chinese Navy showed remarkable ability and skill, and they completed the task with astonishing speed. From rapid arrival, rapid evacuation to rapid transportation, every link reflects the professionalism and combat effectiveness of the Chinese Navy.
The evacuation operation not only tested the combat capability of the Chinese Navy, but also an important test of our non-war military operations.
Our armed evacuation operations have attracted widespread attention around the world, fully demonstrating our expeditionary capabilities and our ability to conduct large-scale and long-distance high-intensity operations overseas.